UP does not condone alleged NPA recruitment in campus, exec says

The University of the Philippines (UP) does not condone the recruitment of students to the New People’s Army (NPA) inside the campus, UP Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Elena Pernia said on Tuesday.

“The University does not recruit and we do not condone ang mga acts ng sedition. We do not condone this,” Pernia said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

“Hindi lang naman ang kaliwa at saka ang mga Communist Party of the Philippines -NPA na sinasabi nila ang mga nagre-recruit. Siguro kasi the whole political spectrum from right to left,” she added.

Pernia pointed out that UP had students in different careers and affiliations.

“Sa karamihan, ano ang mga produkto ng UP? May mga senador diyan, ang dami. Sabihin mo na—Presidente, congressman ng iba't ibang political parties,” she said.

The Department of National Defense (DND) unilaterally terminated its 31-year-old agreement with UP banning military and police forces from entering the campus if they have no prior coordination with UP officials.

In a letter dated January 15, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana informed UP President Danilo Concepcion of the termination saying communists are recruiting students inside UP campuses.

On Tuesday, Concepcion underscored that the unilateral termination of the DND-UP pact on the ban on entry of state forces in UP campuses was unnecessary and unwarranted.

In a letter to Lorenzana, Concepcion expressed concern over the DND's decision, noting that it could just adversely affect the relations between the agency and the university.

According to Pernia, UP is open to discuss the matter with the DND. —KG, GMA News